Parole denied for 1994 murderer of Bay Area man in Davis

Parole for a convicted murderer of a Davis man in 1994 has been denied by the state Board of Parole Hearings panel.

According to the Yolo County District Attorney's Office, the panel denied parole for convicted murderer Timothy Wilson at the California State Prison in Solano.

Commissioner Marisela Montes and Deputy Commissioner Ted Rich unanimously agreed to deny Wilson parole for a period of seven years after deliberating for more than an hour.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven reported that Wilson was convicted for the second degree murder in 1994 of 46-year-old John O'Friel, a Bay Area software salesman, at a Davis Park on July 8, 1993.

Wilson was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison.

After murdering O'Friel, Raven reported, "Wilson then dumped O'Friel's body in a rural part of Yolo County and took the O'Friel's car and personal property to the San Francisco area where Wilson lived."

Raven appeared at the hearing on behalf of the Yolo County District's Attorney's Office. He reported that he argued against Wilson's release based upon his inability to take full responsibility for the murder and also due to the fact that he admitted being dishonest about the details of the crime.

Raven said he told the panel "Wilson today was proven to be a manipulative liar who continues to pose an unreasonable risk of danger to the public."

The widow of the victim, Carol O'Friel, and five of their seven children attended the hearing.

Raven said this was the 43-year-old Wilson's third parole hearing.

"At the last hearing he was denied parole for five years," Raven stated.

In addressing the panel and the inmate, Carol O'Friel stated "The grief of this loss is like living with chronic back pain. The pain doesn't go away, you just learn how to cope with it better."

Commissioner Montes read the decision and addressed the inmate after 11 p.m., stating "You savagely beat him to death so the victim's body was defiled so that his face had to be veiled at his funeral. Nobody should have to leave the world in that fashion."

She concluded, "Mr. Wilson currently poses an unreasonable risk and threat to public safety at this time."

"The result of a seven year denial of parole means that the family will not have to travel to a prison and face Wilson again for many years, which is the benefit of Marsy's Law," according to District Attorney Jeff Reisig.